Not Alone
by Draiq
Summary: It's all Charles can do to shut the emotions out as he swings over the rail, and down into the icy water. First drabble in the series 'Two Minds As One'.


Okay! So I wrote a drabble, and then I fell in love with the drabble and decided to make a whole series of them that follow the scenes in the movie, but that depict what _really_ happened. Only problem is, the original drabble will end up being about the third or fourth part of this series. Ah well, I never do things the easy way. :P

If you haven't read the original drabble, it's probably a good thing, spoilers and all. :P So here is the lovely part one. :D

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, never has been, never will be.

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**Two Minds As One - Part One **

_**Not Alone**_

Charles stilled at the top of the stairs, 'Stop stop stop!' Pressing his fingers to his forehead he gasped, 'Ah!'

'Charles?' Moira looked worried, 'Are you okay?'

He turned to her, his fingers still at his aching temple, 'There's someone else out there.'

Moving quickly he forced his way back up to the deck, pointing out across the water, 'There!'

Across the swelling waves a huge chain rose slowly and ominously, the anchor attached to its head swirling in the air like an angry cobra, before striking down and into the deck of the yacht. It ripped the boat apart as it soared back up into the air, ready to strike again, to once again rip into the vessel rocking on the swelling tide, and send timber flying.

Charles felt rather than saw the presence in the water, one angry swell of rage and fire, of burning agony. The clarity with which he felt the emotions astonished him, pained him as his mind was stabbed with grief, torture, and the will to kill.

Suddenly, something changed. The anchor fell down useless, the huge chain falling limp and lifeless into the waves. In the dark, Charles felt the presence begin to move, desperation the one clear, ruling emotion bleeding from the person.

In a blinding stab of reality, Charles saw what was happening, what was being done. With desperation in his voice he called out across the waves, unsure if it was all his own, 'Let go! You have to let him go!'

Turning to the man beside him he gasped, 'You've got to help him, you've got to get someone in the water.' Turning back to the swelling tide approaching him, the man's face became visible, 'Let him go! You have to let him go!'

He felt it, the blind determination, the red cloud of rage blocking the other's senses. He had only moments, seconds to act before the man would be lost forever. Running across the deck he ripped his jacket off, throwing it aside when it got in his way. The man's lungs were already screaming out for oxygen, a burning ache inside Charles' own body he could no more ignore than he could oppress.

Without even thinking, he jumped the rail and dived into the water, the freezing ice of it clutching at him with bitter resolve as he threw his arms around the body beneath him, held on to the other man with all his might as together they were dragged through the water.

What had once been sharp emotions were now overwhelming, battering his mental defences from all sides as he fought not to be consumed by it. The other man struggled, feeling his arms around his torso he tried to throw Charles off without losing his hold on the submarine. Desperately, Charles reached out with his mind.

_You can't, you'll drown. You have to let go. I know what this means to you, but you're going to die._

Held tight within his arms the other tensed, thrashing as he tried to break free.

_Please, Erik! Calm your mind!_

Slowly, their rapid pull through the water stilled, and Charles was able to grab the other with one arm, turning his body so he could use the other to pull them back to the surface.

A sudden rush of despair swept over him as Erik, the man he now held, slowly went still. A wave of remorse, of sorrow so harrowing he wondered how one person could feel so strongly and not simply break apart.

Breaching the surface they both gasped for much needed air, Charles' grip on the other broken as he was hit with a more than firm hand.

'Get off me!' in the water beside him the other man thrashed, forcing him away with a harshly drawn breath and a hard shove, 'Get off me!'

Charles gasped for breath, 'Calm down! Just breathe.' He turned as a light flashed over the water near them, 'We're here!' he called out sharply, his voice ragged as he tried to shut out the emotions of the man beside him.

'Who are you?' Erik's voice was as harsh and pained as his own.

Spitting out water he turned to the other man, 'My name's Charles Xavier.'

Erik gasped, treading water, 'You were in my head. How did you do that?'

Charles gritted his teeth, 'You have your tricks, I have mine.' He thrashed his head slightly against the waves of anger and rage still swelling from the other man, his tone was almost angry now, 'I'm like you. Just calm your mind!'

Erik choked a little on water, fighting to keep himself afloat, 'I thought I was alone.' This time his voice was softer, not as angry, and Charles noticed with relief that the piercing emotions had started to lose some of their bite.

'You're not alone.' Charles said with a small smile, shaking his head, 'Erik, you are not alone.'

Across the water their eyes met, a quick flash of something sparking between them that had both of them once again gasping for air, and fighting the waters pull.

Suddenly there were loud voices, shouting, and the two were gripped and pulled from the water, to be hauled, gasping and tired, back onto the ship's deck.

Charles sat slowly, leaning over the man beside him he gripped the side of his face, a soft smile lighting his features, 'You have me now Erik, you are not alone.'

Erik's startled eyes met his for a mere second, before officers were pulling them both to their feet, and hustling them down separate stairs, towels being wrapped around them and hot drinks thrust into their frozen hands.

Across the deck, Erik's eyes sought out Charles' once more, before he swallowed a bitter knot of loss, and stepped bellow deck.

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Okay, there it is. Well I have to say, naturally I didn't write this scene :P It was taken fresh from the movie, but I don't think I can write the series I want to write without it.

There will be more coming soon. :)

_You've come this far, is it really that hard to push the button?_


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